Less than a year into his Major League Baseball career, Julio Rodríguez has made a big impression. That impression has earned a massive payday from the Seattle Mariners.
Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com was the first to report the deal.
Source: Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez is finalizing a deal with the Mariners. The deal is expected to guarantee him more than $200 million with the possibility earning him as much as $450 million plus.
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) August 26, 2022
The specifics of the deal depend on options and whether he reaches certain incentives. There are a number of ways the deal could play out. But if the maximum terms of the deal are reached, it will be worth a record $470 million.
Here are the contract details for Julio Rodriguez, which you can find in the piece we put out this morning on him and his deal with the Mariners. pic.twitter.com/TfY60fewIQ
— SoDo Mojo (@SodoMojoFS) August 26, 2022
No matter what the specifics end up being, it’s a massive deal for Rodríguez. The MLB world had a lot to say about it.
— Farm To Fame (@FarmToFame_) August 26, 2022
Julio Rodríguez has less than one year of service time
20 HR, .799 OPS, 4.3 WAR in 108 games as a 21-year-old rookie https://t.co/CQ1vCArR2F
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) August 26, 2022
Pretty rad that the Mariners get to have Julio Rodríguez in their recruiting pitch to free agents for the next decade plus.
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) August 26, 2022
I love that the @Mariners secure the future with @JRODshow44–showing a commitment way earlier than needed and on a weekend where a legend of the past is honored.
It's a winning move.
And with that,
JULLLIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!#SeaUsRise
— Niko Tamurian (@NikoTamurian) August 26, 2022
Or, to put things another way, the deal could extend beyond the time that Bobby Bonilla will get his last paycheck from the New York Mets.
Let’s flip this narrative on its axis…
By the time Julio Rodriguez’s 14-year contract ends in 2037, the New York Mets will no longer be paying Bobby Bonilla.
— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) August 26, 2022
Rodríguez is .269/.328/.471 and is already a 20/20 man, with 20 home runs and 23 steals. More important from Seattle’s perspective is that Rodríguez has helped the Mariners become viable contenders in the American League. Entering Friday, Seattle occupies the third Wild Card spot in the American League and is 2.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. Should the Mariners reach the playoffs, it would end baseball’s longest active postseason drought, which dates back to 2001.
Additionally, while there’s still some work to do to make Rodríguez a more polished hitter, there’s a lot of time to do it. Not only is Rodríguez staying in Seattle for a long time but he’s only 21. Generally speaking, hitters don’t hit their prime until their mid-late 20s. So, as good as the 2022 season has been for him, it may only scratch the surface of what’s to come over the next decade-plus.
